A seven-year-old girl died on Tuesday in Saharanpur’s Khatakhedi area, five days after being bitten by a stray dog and hours after receiving her second anti-rabies vaccine dose. Her family alleged rabies, while municipal corporation officials said tests on the animal did not confirm infection.
The deceased, identified as Zikra, daughter of Saddam, had gone out for tuition classes on the evening of May 1 when a stray dog allegedly bit her on the leg.
According to her uncle, Rehan Qureshi, the family immediately arranged for a tetanus injection and later took the child to the district hospital on May 2, where she received the first dose of the anti-rabies vaccine.
Hospital authorities scheduled the second dose for May 5, which the child received in the morning. Family members said that until then, Zikra appeared completely healthy.
However, by around 3 pm, her condition allegedly deteriorated rapidly. Foam reportedly started coming from her mouth and nose, she developed fever and severe body spasms, and was rushed to a private hospital.
Doctors at the private hospital allegedly informed the family that the child had a serious infection. Despite treatment, Zikra died later the same day.
Reportedly, the postmortem examination of the deceased was not conducted.
The family maintained that the symptoms pointed toward rabies and blamed the dog bite for the child’s death.
However, officials from the municipal corporation disputed the claim. Dr Sandeep Mishra, veterinary officer, said the dog that bit the child had been vaccinated against rabies by a civic team earlier that day and later tested negative for the virus after the child’s death.
Medical experts noted that anti-rabies vaccination in dogs does not provide immediate protection; immunity generally develops within seven to 14 days after the shot.
“After the child’s death, we captured the dog and conducted medical examinations. No signs of rabies were found. The child may have been suffering from some other illness, as she also reportedly had fever and other symptoms,” Mishra said.
Health experts said anti-rabies treatment for humans requires a complete five-dose vaccination schedule to be fully effective. The first dose is administered within 24 hours of the bite, followed by doses on the third, seventh, 14th and 28th days.
Dr Rajesh Sharma, the pediatrician who treated the child, said her condition was already extremely critical when she was brought to the hospital.
“She was admitted immediately and treatment was started. There was widespread infection in her body. Despite all efforts, we could not save her,” Sharma said.
Doctors explained that in advanced stages of rabies, the virus can affect the heart and nervous system, leading to muscle spasms, irregular heartbeat, myocarditis, cardiac arrest and eventually death.
The incident has once again drawn attention to the growing stray dog menace in the district. Just 10 days earlier, an eight-year-old boy, Lavish, was mauled to death by dogs in Fatehpur police station limits.
According to official figures, more than 3,000 dog bite cases are reported every month in the district.
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